Ted Warr, local architect and artist, dies at age 70

Designs helped set the tone for Park City of today

Wayne E. (Ted) Warr, a well-known Park City artist and architect, died Thursday, Jan. 10, at the age of 70.

As an architect, Warr played a major role in shaping the look and feel of Park City through his commercial and residential design work, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Among his best-known designs are the Holiday Village shopping center (on the corner of Park Avenue and Kearns Boulevard), the Silver Queen Hotel (on Main Street at Heber Avenue), the Mount Air Café (now Squatters Roadhouse Grill), the Park City Ski Area ticket building (now Cole Sport) on the corner of Park Avenue and Empire Avenue, and the Park Record Building in Prospector Square.

Warr and his company, Ted Warr and Associates, were also involved in the original Deer Valley master plan, and in the design of the Aspenwood condominium project in Deer Valley, the Deer Valley Plaza building, and the Enclave and Little Belle projects near Silver Lake Village. One of his more recent designs is the Promontory Equestrian Center.

A passionate watercolor artist, Warr's favorite subjects included Montana landscapes, Civil War subjects and, later, portraits. Among the galleries to exhibit his work was the Kimball Art Center in Park City. During the last five years he was an active member of the Helper Art Institute, an organization of well-known and enthusiastic artists with studios in Helper, Utah, where Ted and his wife, Lisa, owned a home/studio.

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"From the first days I knew Ted ... back in the early '70s, I always had an intimate connection with him," said longtime Park City businessman Jan Peterson, who started Jans Mountain Outfitters and Jans Winter Welcome, an annual benefit for local nonprofit winter-sports organizations. "We'd talk about what was important to each of us: our families and our passion for art and the outdoors."

Born in Salt Lake City on Aug. 26, 1942, Warr graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in art history and architecture. His first job in Park City was as an in-house architect for the Park City Ski Area (now Park City Mountain Resort). After forming his own company, he joined forces with J.J. Johnson and Associates, owned by civil engineer Jack Johnson, to form the first multi-disciplinary land and design firm in Park City. In later years he worked independently, designing homes and recreational properties in Utah and Wyoming.

Warr combined a love of art, the outdoors and fly fishing on a number of memorable trips, Peterson said. "I'll never forget our trips north to the Madison River and the Henry's Fork.

"Our times together on the rivers and at the Blue Moon Saloon and Pond's Lodge will be forever in my memories. I often watched him forsake his fishing rod for a chance to sketch or paint a local legend in the bar or along the river. I have lost a man that I hoped would live forever."

An active member of the community, Warr was the first president of the Park City Rotary Club when that organization was founded in 1980. He was also a board member of the Kimball Art Center and a founding board member of the National Ability Center (NAC).

"I first knew Ted, and his wife, Lisa, when their son Riley became the very first participant in the NAC's programs in 1985," NAC founder Meeche White said in an e-mail. "We became lifelong friends and Riley still to this day participates in the NAC's programs.

"Ted introduced me and the NAC to the Rotary Club of Park City, which became a longtime supporter of the NAC. Ted served on the NAC board for several years and, when the idea of building a facility came up, Ted drew the first rendering of the facility, which is very much like it is today. He drew other renderings and artwork for some of the facility events we hosted. Ted volunteered on many occasions, from using his architectural expertise to flipping hamburgers. He always said yes to whatever I asked!

"Ted was a rare human being who contributed much to the community, NAC and to the lives of his friends. He will be missed by many," White said.

Warr is survived by his wife, Annalisa Warr, and his sons Cordell (Karen) and Riley Warr.

In accordance to Ted Warr's wishes, the Ted Warr Helper Art Workshops Scholarship Fund has been established through Wells Fargo Bank. Donations can be made to this fund at any Wells Fargo Bank under this name. Ted's wife, Lisa, can also accept checks to be deposited in the account. Additionally, donations to Huntsman Cancer Institute are welcomed.

A celebration of Warr's life is scheduled for Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013, at 6 p.m. at the Snow Park Lodge in Deer Valley.